A headset is a headphone, which is normally combined with a microphone, and which is becoming more and more widely used in telecommunication. Especially wireless headsets are increasingly popular.
More and more devices can be used together with wireless headsets. A wireless headset can be connected to a mobile phone, a landline phone (PSTN), a computer, a music player, even a television or a DVD player. In the industry, this phenomenon is known as “convergence”. There has been a long felt need to provide a single device which can control other devices and still function effectively in its primary role. The mobile (cell) phone is the device of choice for this purpose but the modifications to achieve this role are great and thus far unachievable. A new approach is needed.
Because of the limited size of a headset, and because it normally has to be operated while located on the user's head or ear, interaction with the user becomes a challenge. Due to its size, the headset can normally only have very few buttons, and most feedback from the headset to the user has to be aural rather than visual.
In a scenario where a headset is connected to several devices simultaneously, it is very difficult to design a user interface through which the user may select a sound source and control the remote device in a simple and intuitive manner.
One solution is shown in US 2002/0068610. Keys on the headset or a voice-recognition unit on the headset is used to control various devices which are wirelessly connected to the headset. In order to choose between the many commands that are needed to control the remote devices, a large number of buttons (or very complex button press sequences) are required. Furthermore, visual feedback to the user is not normally possible. Voice-recognition is disadvantageous as it may disturb the surroundings and be complex to use.
Another solution is to use a separate remote control unit (or several remote control units) to control the remote devices. This means that the user will need to carry one or more extra items. Also, logical interaction between the different units becomes difficult or impossible. If a call comes in on the mobile phone, the music player should stop playing during the phone conversation.
A third solution is to use a mobile phone as a remote control as proposed in US 2006/0065709. A direct wireless link (according to the Bluetooth standard) is established between the mobile phone and the remote-controlled device. In order to simultaneously listen to audio signals from a device through the headset and control the device via the mobile phone, this is only possible if the remote devices are capable of handling wireless connections to multiple devices; and even if this is possible, the number of wireless connections which the user must set up and manage is almost doubled. Another problem with this solution is that the modifications to the mobile phone are significant and it may be hard to get manufacturers of such devices to add the hardware necessary to communicate with different devices. Therefore making the mobile phone the center of controls over multiple devices, might seem like the obvious solution, its implementation creates many new problems.
The present invention addresses these problems and provides an unexpected solution which has been much sought after in prior attempts but not achieved.